Dutch oven camp cooks love their cast iron gear. These vintage cooking kettles allow cooks to bake, fry, boil, and make wonderful meals over a fire and hot coals.
The lid on a Dutch Oven does more than just cover the pot. If you notice, the lid is concave. This means that it makes a great frying pan, omelet pan, or so much more. The deep center allows juices and frying foods to fall inward and not overflow from the sides.
A properly seasoned Dutch Oven lid will not allow food to stick. Eggs and pancakes slide right off. Whatever you cook stays in the center.
Here are some tips when using the lid.
Level please. Place the lid onto a level fire pit grate. Three or four equal sized rocks will serve as a base to level the lid over fire coals or charcoal. You can also lay the lid onto metal racks for a level grill application.
Place the lid away from the main fire. This will help keep ash out of your food.
Utensils for the job Use a curved or contoured spatula to manipulate the food. Thes can be carved/homemade or bought at stores. Wok tools work well.
A Lid can become lids Having more than one lid in operation speeds up the cooking. If you have a big crew, multiple lids put food on the table quicker.
Less is more You do not need to overload or overflow the lids. Use the concave surface that you have. The center of your food may be thicker, but the center of the lid is also hotter. The concave surface cooks the same.
Not all lids are the same. Dutch oven lids can vary in depth. Deeper lids are perfect for stir frying and making Indian bread. Shallow depth lids are perfect for omelets and pancakes.
Campfire and outdoor cooking are so much fun. Food made outside just seems to taste better. Great chefs can do more with less, by using different methods.
Campers will Flip their Lids!
Montana Grant
